I'm getting ready to install new exterior door handles on my 73. After reading the procedure in the manual, I said you gotta be kidding me. They want you to remove the lock assembly. Does anyone have any tips on this installation? - Roy

Go to the Corvette Fever website and look under the tech section. They have a whole article on outside door handle replacementl

Removing the latch assembly is the easiest way to go. That gives you room to get your hand up there and work. I have tried it both ways and removing the latch assembly makes it much easier. Simple to remove and install. Chuck

|UPDATED|4/10/02 8:25:54 PM|/UPDATED|

Changing out the door handles requires you to make sure all those little fiddly rods are properly connected or your door locks won't work or, worse yet, your doors won't open from the outside. Pay particular attention to the rod clips and the orientation of the rods. Some of them will only go in one way. Good luck.

What was your source for door handles? Just curious because I bought a set from eBay, but they were the repro ones, very flimsy even if they had nice shiney chrome. A few friends in my local NCRS club said they were crap and would break within a year. So I sold them at a swap meet. The GM ones are pretty pricey. I was wondering if you found a good supplier for them at a reasonable price. ~Juliet

Juliet - Yea, eBay was my source too, and they were repros. I wasn't impressed with the quality, but I did need the working handle. My thanks to all that answered my post as to the installation process. I did it just by loosening the latch assembly, but the next time I will remove it completely for ease of installation. Cussed out the engineers all through the job, if they would have moved the handle 1 inch, the job would have been much easier. - Roy